Ismail Al-Thawabtah, Director General of the Government Media Office in Gaza, said that the Israeli occupation forces continue to close the Kerem Shalom crossing for the third consecutive day.

He stressed in a statement, Tuesday morning, that this is an “illegal and inhumane” measure that exacerbates the humanitarian disaster in the Strip, and leads to preventing the entry of food, medical aid and fuel, which threatens the lives of more than 2.4 million Palestinians trapped in tragic conditions.

He explained that the continuation of this closure means:

Disrupting the entry of basic food supplies, which deepens the hunger and famine crisis in light of the scarcity of supplies and the lack of alternatives.

Preventing the entry of medicines and medical supplies, which exposes thousands of patients and wounded to the risk of death due to lack of treatment and the collapse of the health system.

Preventing the entry of heavy equipment and machinery, which exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, keeps the streets closed, and makes it impossible to recover the bodies of more than 10,000 martyrs who are still under the rubble.

The fuel crisis is worsening, causing hospitals to shut down and power outages to shelters and vital facilities.

The continued use of starvation as a tool of war is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and a crime punishable by law.

He concluded by saying that the Gaza government holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the disastrous consequences of this stifling siege, and called on the international community and the United Nations to put immediate pressure to reopen the crossing and ensure the flow of aid permanently and without restrictions, in order to avoid further humanitarian disasters that threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

On Sunday, the occupation government announced a complete halt to the entry of all humanitarian goods and supplies into Gaza and the closure of the crossings leading to the Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also publicly threatened “additional consequences,” without taking into account the severely deteriorating humanitarian situation of more than two million people living in the Strip.

For its part, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor expressed its deep concern yesterday, Monday, over Israel’s decision to cut off all humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip until further notice.

The Human Rights Observatory stressed that humanitarian aid is a basic right of the civilian population that is not negotiable under international humanitarian law, and there is no exception or legal justification that allows Israel to deprive Palestinians of basic humanitarian aid.

systematic starvation policy

The Observatory explained that Israel is not content with using aid as a negotiating card to achieve political or military gains, but is deliberately implementing a systematic starvation policy, in an attempt to create deadly living conditions that make the survival of the population in Gaza impossible.

He said that Israel's repeated announcement of its full coordination with the current US administration, which has explicitly declared its intention to displace the entire population of the Gaza Strip, confirms that the crimes of starvation and cutting off humanitarian aid are not merely negotiating pressure tools or isolated practices, but rather part of a well-thought-out plan in line with the US trend to impose forced displacement and empty the Strip of its population.

US President Donald

Direct and public incitement to genocide

The Observatory warned that the successive statements by ministers and members of the Israeli Knesset reflect Israel's premeditated intention to destroy the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. These statements did not remain mere threats, but rather found their way to actual implementation through the complete cutting off of humanitarian aid.

He stressed that the majority of statements issued by senior Israeli officials regarding “opening hell” on the Gaza Strip and preventing all humanitarian supplies from reaching its residents, in conjunction with the occupation’s actions on the ground, amount to “direct and public incitement to genocide.”

slow and gradual killing

The Observatory reiterated that Israel was not satisfied with the widespread killing and massive destruction it inflicted on the Gaza Strip over the course of more than 15 months, but rather continues to use policies that lead to the actual destruction of the population, by continuing the policy of gradual and slow killing.

The Observatory called on all countries and relevant entities to assume their legal responsibilities and take urgent action to stop the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip.